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City manager outlines FY26 budget priorities including compensation plan; council presses for project and maintenance details
Summary
The city manager presented major focus areas for the FY26 operating and capital budgets — public safety, housing, maintenance, and tourism — and proposed a staged compensation plan; council members asked for clearer project dashboards, status of prior CIP funds and maintenance/resurfacing plans.
City Manager Pat briefed the Norfolk City Council on the proposed FY26 operating and capital budget at a May work session, emphasizing investments in public safety, housing, infrastructure maintenance and expanded cultural facilities, and presenting a staged compensation implementation timeline for council consideration ahead of the May 13 adoption date.
Why it matters: The budget shapes staffing, maintenance and capital projects across the city; council members pressed staff for clarity on previously funded projects, road resurfacing capacity, and whether funds allocated in earlier budgets remain available.
Pat said the proposed budget groups priorities around community safety, health and well‑being; transportation safety and maintenance; investments in housing programs and capital projects; customer service and technology; and expansion of tourism, arts and cultural facility investments. Pat told council that the budget incorporates a compensation plan developed from an authorized study and summarized implementation timing: "a baseline general wage increase go into effect on July 1. That's a 2 and a half percent increase for all employees," Pat said, adding that some public safety staff could be eligible for a 5% increase depending on compensation milestones and that a new public safety compensation plan for police, fire, 911 and sheriff would be implemented in October with an enhanced plan for the rest of the organization after the new year.
Council members used the discussion to press for more transparency and project status reporting. Councilman McGee asked for a consolidated section in future budget books showing previously funded projects and their current status so citizens can see whether funds remain allocated or have been spent. Several members raised specific items: the $5,000,000 previously allocated for Northside Park and questions about the status of $5,000,000 for LED conversion work; delays in projects such as Broad Park and Northside Park were noted as examples.
Members also raised maintenance concerns. Council members asked for updates on the road resurfacing program, line‑restriping capacity, median upkeep, and whether the city has enough crews to address potholes, medians and vandalized infrastructure. One council member suggested evaluating whether to fund an in‑house striping crew or reallocate existing maintenance crews to focus on medians and high‑visibility corridors.
Pat and staff committed to follow up with reconciliation and proposed amendment documents. Pat said staff will provide a written summary of proposed amendments before the May 13 adoption so council members have time to review. The manager also noted that some proposed compensation changes will be presented for council consideration with implementation dates tied to adoption timing.
The meeting included a brief procedural note that staff would move to a closed‑session motion later to discuss the award of a public contract, but no contract details or votes were taken during the work session portion reported here.
